The instalove/lust got me on this one. I'm sorry but I just cannot stand it, especially when the ML's first chapter was him gushing about the FL, going back to his work, only to lust after her again after their first meeting. Maybe a believable chemistry will develop between them... I just don't have the patience to find out.

3.5 rounded down to 3

Diana meets Scott in her busy cafe and all signs point to something big on the horizon. She just can't tell if the omens are good or bad. She's been hurt by love before thanks to the hex that haunts her. Is her connection with Scott worth risking it all?

Read if you like:
-Paranormal Romance
-Strong Female Friendships
-Only for the Weekend to Something More
-Hexes & Dancing Naked on Halloween

I liked Best Hex Ever. It started and ended strong, but the middle did lag a bit. It's hard to articulate why without dropping a huge spoiler, so all I can really say is that it took too long to understand the hex. I wish it had been revealed earlier and explored further. Because once it was explained, the message of the book was beautiful.

DNF at 34%

This book has so much going for it: a mixed-race bi FMC witch who loves baking, owns a cafe, and has a cat named Heebie Jeebie. We also have nonbinary side characters, an MMC who wen through the foster care system and has two loving moms, and even magic henna.

But this book felt like it was trying to throw in as many tropes as possible. We have forced proximity, insta-love, and way too many "shivers of desire". Don't get me wrong, I love a good romance with some spice, but there was way too much showing without telling and nothing for me to latch onto as a reader other than the intense physical attraction between the two main characters. I also didn't understand why Dina couldn't reveal her magic if it seemed like magic was somewhat common in this universe. Essentially the whole plot hung on Dina not being willing to tell her mom that she was bi or trying to figure out another way to get help with her hex.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC.

Are you kidding me? This book is my number one hex/witchy autumn book. Nadia El-Fassi writes Dina so well & I really enjoyed cozying up to read about her and Scott. It is pretty difficult to write both FMC and MMC to be likable both apart & together and I think the author nailed it to a tee. Although there is an instalove type situation going on, I think the book was written so beautifully and is my go to fall read/recommendation for those looking for an autumn read.

'Best Hex Ever' has a lot to recommend it, Nadia El-Fassi provides a fun premise (who doesn't want to be a coffee shop owner who is also a witch and meet a handsome museum curator?) and very likable characters. Though their is magic, would describe this book as more magical realism than fantasy.

This book is a (very) open door romance. I feel Nadia balanced the plot and romance well, however, I did find some of the sex scenes to be a bit repetitive .

Overall, I will be eagerly waiting for the next book in the series.

Thank you to Nadia El-Fassi and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for an honest review of 'Best Hex Ever.'

This book is the perfect cozy fall read! I've always been a fan of books that feel like a hug, and this book is it for me. I loved the romance aspects and the portrayals of friendship and family relationships. The third-act conflict isn't really a conflict, but sometimes that's exactly what you want to read.

If you are looking for a fast-paced fall read that has a touch of witchy-ness to it, this is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the e-ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions within are my own.

RATING AND OVERALL THOUGHTS:

3.75 stars. This was a cute and cozy witchy book full of autumn vibes and a wholesome group of characters, the author really excelled in this aspect. Unfortunately it had a few things that I found myself not really enjoying and subtracted from the experience.

SOME SPOILERS AHEAD

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“A particular favourite was Dina’s special chai blend, full of warming ginger, clove, and nutmeg, and just a sprinkle of that feeling you get when you rub a cat’s soft, warm belly.”

“This is so you will see yourself as I see you.”

WHAT I LOVED:

- Outside of the main romance (I’ll get to that later), the wholesomeness of the cast and their love for one another was perfection.
- Diversity and queer rep (with some caveats about the bi rep which I will also get into later).
- All the vibes of the cafe, the baking, the magic, the sentient house, the wedding location, all of that was perfect. It felt so cozy. I really dug the descriptions of the scenes and atmosphere.
- I am surprised to say I was really moved by the Halloween ritual scene with the girls. Leading up to it I really thought it was going to be cheesy as all hell but the scene itself was very moving and I cried. “All women were witches on Halloween night.”
- Heebie Jeebie. I will say no more.

WHAT I DISLIKED:

- Sometimes there was a detachment with the writing. Like I felt as if I am reading a draft for a movie more than a book? Especially with the dialogue which suffered throughout the novel.
- Please, I beg you authors to stop doing full dialogue about protection right before the act. It is absolutely cringy. That convo can literally be summed up with one line and in the case of this novel it would’ve made sense for them to have already discussed this prior since they already discussed rules off page anyways.
- I both liked and disliked the main love story. On one hand I did find it very cute and was rooting for them but on the other hand, the insta-love was unbelievable because of how rushed it was. I think part of what I struggled with was the fact that they quite literally never interacted until a few days before the wedding and even then they didn’t know each other were part of the wedding party and the respective BFFs to the couple getting hitched. I know Scott was out of the country for awhile but so was Rosemary and she kept in contact with everyone. They all have cellphones. I think I would’ve found their instant attraction for each other more believable if our leads had at least texted each other beforehand (even if it was under the guise of their wedding duties and nothing more) and *then* they had met. As it stands we missed out on a lot more emotional depth and progression with the way it unfolded so quickly.
- Alright lets get to the sex. I don’t care how much there is or how little there is, at least make it good. And I don’t mean good in the sense of trying to find the right wording to make every subsection of girlypops that read this novel happy with it, I mean in the sense that there needs to be more than just “they bang in this position, he says a few ‘good girls’, and its all fireworks when the orgasm hits”. It was repetitive, boring, and honestly took away from creating more actual depth with the romance which this novel needed. It needed more like the maze scenes and also a scene where Dina properly explained her magic to Scott because that was absolutely ushed and then glossed over.
I also wanna throw out there that 1. leaving your BFFs (who quite literally *just* said their vows) to go off in another room to start getting freaky 2. to then hide in a closet when someone unknowingly comes into that room 3. to then continue WHILE PEOPLE ARE THERE AND UNAWARE is an absolutely shitty thing to do on multiple fronts. I almost DNF’d here and if either of them were my best friend during this and I found out about it later? I would’ve hexed them both.

WHAT I AM NOT SURE ABOUT/WANTED MORE OF:

- Lets talk about the bi rep. To get it out of the way I am bi but I am not authority for every bi person out there and everyone has different experiences with being queer. I’ve always viewed my sexuality as it didn’t matter if you’ve got a charger, outlet, some combo of each, or none, **we** will find a way to make some electricity happen.
That said, I found some of the internal thoughts Dina had about being bi very off putting. Repeatedly throughout the book it would be mentioned how she didn’t like having sex with men and she can’t believe a *man* is making her feel this way and able to please her. It was also mentioned, on two different occasions, that men never took the time to please her but that she also never wanted to reciprocate with a man. This to me is just highly hypocritical and really pointed out how shitty to past romantic partners Dina must’ve been. This does not excuse any previous partners that also did not reciprocate but you have a duty to yourself to vet your partners and be on the same page. You can’t have your cake and eat it too and you can’t bitch about it later in the tone she did throughout the novel. Its fine for Dina to have more of a preference to women over men but its not alright for her to broad strokes say “all” or “never” about men and for it to be emphasized repeatedly throughout the narrative the way it was. It also reeked of “all you need is that magical dick and you’ll be straight” energy throughout the book which just leads to biphobia in different ways.
- There were a ton of pop culture references, some of them were alright (like the 2005 Pride and Prejudice mention which is the best one and I will fucking die on this hill), but there were others that could’ve been cut. It felt like it was there just to be a gag but that doesn’t work so well when its not funny.
- The pacing could’ve been better. It is a short novel and one that could easily be finished in one sitting, but after the strong start, it kind of hit a lull in the middle there with some repetitive scenes. The 3rd act breakup and then make up happened in just a few short chapters which was rushed.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing, Ballantine for providing me with an eARC of Best Hex Ever by Nadia El-Fassi in exchange for an honest review.

I’m disappointed to say that I just didn’t love Best Hex Ever. It sounded like the exact cozy, witchy, autumnal love story I was looking for, but unfortunately, overall, it wasn’t what I was hoping it would be.

I think one of my main disappointments was actually the spice. I, personally, felt like there was too much of it and it really took away from the story. Normally, I’m a fan of spice. I may not always be in the mood for it, and maybe that was part of the problem here, but in general I love a good spicy romance. In this case, however, I did feel as though it bulldozed over the plot, which became nonexistent for the middle 50% of the book. The first 25% of the book was a cute introduction to our characters, nothing particularly groundbreaking but a good start. Once there was sexual content, however, almost everything else went out the window. I was sad that the book felt as though it lost its charm. The last 25% did finally pick back up with some plot, and I actually really loved the message at the very end, but at that point I was so disappointed in the rest of the book that I couldn’t give it higher than a 3-star rating.

Don’t get me wrong, the vibes were there. The baking, the season, the witchy-ness – it all brought a great autumnal vibe to the book. But, a lot of that fell to the wayside during the middle. I do love that not only did it take place in the Fall, but also included Halloween. Sometimes I feel like Fall books don’t give us the satisfaction of experiencing the day of Halloween, but this book did, which was nice.

Overall, I think the pieces were there, they just needed a bit more shaping on the execution. Maybe its on me thinking there was too much spice and too little plot in a book called “Best HEX ever”, but I guess I assumed there would be more balance with the “sex” and the “hex”. I definitely want to try more of Nadia El-Fassi’s books going forward, and I think this was a good jumping off point for a debut, but it wasn’t quite the cup of tea I was looking for.

This review was posted on 9/11/24 on the following platforms (links below):
Goodreads
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4.5

Best Hex Ever is a cute witchy romance following our baking witch, Dina, and the hot museum curator Scott. Dina loves her bakery in London where she bakes and brews all her products with some small spells mixed in, things like warm hugs and feelings of home! Dina's friends upcoming marriage is making her think about her own love life a bit more and thinking about a Hex that an Ex might have left on her and all her future partners. Scott has returned to London recently after running away upon realizing his ex-girlfriend was cheating on him. Scott was successful in his work and traveling around the world to various museums but realized how much he missed out on now that his best friend is getting married. Scott and Dina have a few run-ins with each other in London before learning that they're the Best Man and Maid of Honor for the same wedding out in the countryside!

Dina and Scott's chemistry was great. Although it took me a little bit to be into the first blow-up of their physical chemistry, they really lit up each other's world! Both Dina and Scott were strong characters and people and I think El-Fassi did a great job at creating characters I loved. Based off of the synopsis, I thought this romance would be a bit more of a slow burn but things progressed a lot faster than I anticipated. Not a bad thing at all, but I wasn't prepared for almost the entire story to take place around their best friend's wedding - only briefly returning back to London on page for the final act. Speaking of the final act, I've seen a few reviews frustrated with Dina around it and I can see where they're coming from but I think Dina's reactions and worries were completely valid. She has no idea how her mother will react to the news of her sexuality and I think that's a very common fear/reaction that second-generation immigrants have.

Overall I absolutely loved Best Hex Ever! I cannot wait for Nadia's next book, the excerpt sounded super exciting and I can't wait for the characters to meet! (Complete side note but I saw this was originally picked up under the title Henna & Hexes and GOSH I love that! Wish it had stayed!)

Best Hex Ever is a book you read that makes you realize you will read everything by a new author. This had to be one of my fastest reads, once I started it I just couldn't put it down.

El-Fassi efficiently built up a whole world, with complex characters and their relationships without once letting the story drag on. I loved the insight to the relationship between Dina and her parents and Scott and his mom. While Dina's charcater is developed so well and her culture is so deeply explained, I wanted more to develop for Scott.

The witch aspect to this was so much fun because you got that fun story line without it being too heavy.

The mcs are both just kind hearted and genuine people. (I mean she's a witch who owns a Café to make people happy, who wouldn't love her?)

Thanks so much to Nadia El-Fassi and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for the eARC of this title. Loved how cute this book was, definitely gave you all the fall vibes. it is quite spicy though. So if you're not into spicy books, you may want to skip over this one but all in all a good read.

This book was adorable and all vibes! I loved the friendship between Immy, Rosemary, and Dina. I loved Nour—I want a mom like Nour! And the bromance between Scott and Eric was fantastic! There was a lot to love about this book. I know that the messaging for this book doesn’t shy away from being spicy, but it was cute and charming one minute, and the next, super 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️! That said, it was a fun read!

I really enjoyed this book!! I loved the witchy and spooky elements, the main characters and their chemistry, the friendships, and the steam. I also enjoyed learning more about Dina's Moroccan culture and thought it was so unique to have an Amazigh perspective in a witchy romance. Scott and Dina's relationship was so sweet and I loved their immediate chemistry. Some things were a little too convenient/maybe a tad cheesy for my taste which is why I decided on a 4 star instead of 5 star rating, but overall I really enjoyed this book and look forward to recommending it to my bookstagram audience!

When I started the book this felt like the perfect cozy witchy read to start off September with especially as I am really excited for the fall season. But I am not really a fan of insta love and while some books could get away with it I just could not enjoy it in this book.

this was such a perfect, cozy fall read to start out september! i loved immy and rosemary and dina’s friendship, and the found family was amazing. and i want more about dina’s baking and magic— i love the magic system. and more about scott’s ex too!! but overall, a very cute, slow-paced, spooky read for the halloween season

“We cannot imagine ourselves without it, because then we would not be ourselves” “This man was going to be her undoing.”

“That was cheesy as hell.” “Sue me.”

DNF at 35%. I appreciate getting the chance to read this but unfortunately the writing was not for me. I just felt like I couldn’t get into the characters and then being all talk and no show was really starting to get on my nerves. I liked the idea for this book but I just could not get into it.

Cute fall romance
Witch
Magic
Hex

Dina has a hex and is afraid of love until Scott flips her world upside down

This book makes you wanna cozy up with a cup of tea and believe in magic

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

This cozy witchy romance set in and around modern day London really took me by surprised, in a good way!

The representation of different cultures and orientations was fantastic. I absolutely loved both the FMC and MMC.

All of the different family dynamics and friendships warmed my heart, and Nadia El-Fassi does a great job setting the scene -- I really felt like I was in a witch's cafe in London, or at a gorgeous intimate wedding in the countryside.

The spice is also *perfection*

I also loved how seamlessly everything was set up to lead into the next book, following another character.

This was an absolute blast of a book, and completely perfect for the fall!

I've been let down by a few paranormal rom-coms recently, and I'm so glad that this one has broken the pattern. Best Hex Ever has a blend of my favorite things: its cozy, following a kitchen witch working in the cafe she owns and where she infuses magic into her pastries and drinks, its funny and swoony, it has a nice dollop of spice, it has charming characters with great chemistry. It also has a fall-wedding setting for a good chunk of the story and some forced proximity infused throughout. All of this was done SO well, and while there was a bit of insta-love, it also was easy to overlook because of how great all these aspects were and how fun their tension is.

I loved the magic in this, Dina's relationship with her mother (who is also a witch) is sweet and realistic, they live in a magical home that basically matches their mood. Dina has two friends who know about her magic and accept her without question, and this even opens a door to a really meaningful and magical summoning scene on halloween. The way Dina's magic plays into the overall plot, and how it relates to Scott's already existing fascination with magical artifacts, worked to well for the story and offset her previous experiences with partners learning about her magic in a really warm and special way.

The only thing that left me a bit underwhelmed was the pace of the ending. It was still very satisfying and charming, and made sense for all of the characters personalities and the conflict they were facing, it just felt like it happened a bit fast and could have benefitted from being fleshed out better. Regardless, I absolutely loved this and think it is going to make a splash in the book scene this autumn!

Thank you so much to Random House Ballantine and NetGalley for this eArc!

“Best Hex Ever” by Nadia El-Fassi is a charming debut romance that blends magic, love, and a sprinkle of spice into a delightful read. Dina Whitlock, a talented kitchen witch, runs a cozy London café where she serves pastries infused with a touch of magic. While her culinary skills are second to none, her love life is cursed—literally. Whenever someone starts to fall for Dina, a string of bad luck inevitably follows. When Scott Mason, fresh from his travels and starting a new job at the British Museum, enters her life, sparks fly. But the hex that haunts Dina’s love life threatens to extinguish their budding romance.

What I Loved:

• I loved the friendship between the three main female characters. Their dynamic added a lot of fun and warmth to the story.
• Dina’s familiar, Heebie, was adorable and brought a lot of charm to the narrative.
• The book immediately hooked me with its focus on protective symbols, like the hamsa in Dina’s café and the exhibit Scott works on at the museum. This resonated with me because my college portfolio project centered around protective symbols, so I felt a personal connection to the story.
• The foodie elements were fantastic. All the descriptions of teas and pastries had my mouth watering.
• The Moroccan influences, especially Dina’s family and her witchy mother, brought a unique flavor to the story that I really enjoyed.
• Although I’m not usually into spicy romance, I found the dynamic between Scott and Dina engaging, especially with Scott being a bit more assertive and Dina enjoying that dynamic.
• I also appreciated that Dina is bisexual, adding more representation to the book.
• The adorable cover immediately caught my eye, and I’ve seen the UK Waterstones edition as well, which is absolutely stunning—I’m definitely going to need to get my hands on it!
• I picked this book for its witchy, cozy fall vibes, and while it nailed the witchy part, I would have loved a bit more of the warm, cozy fall atmosphere.

What I Didn’t Love:

• While there was plenty of sexual chemistry between Scott and Dina, their emotional connection felt a bit lacking to me. The relationship seemed to move quickly, leaning towards an insta-love scenario.
• I wasn’t a fan of how the major conflict revolved around Dina’s fear of being honest about her bisexuality with her parents when there was no indication they wouldn’t accept her. This made the conflict feel a bit forced. The “you have to love yourself to be happy” theme also felt unnecessary since Dina seemed to already be confident and comfortable with herself throughout the book.

I also read the included bonus chapter for the next book in the series, and I’m definitely looking forward to reading more about Rosemary. The sneak peek has me excited for what’s next!

Overall, “Best Hex Ever” is a fun, magical romance that’s perfect for readers looking for a mix of sweet, spicy, and supernatural elements.

This was a solid 4.5 stars for me, rounded up to 5 because I absolutely adored both the original cover and the Waterstones edition. The book’s connection to symbols, especially protective ones related to kitchen witchery, made it resonate with me on a personal level.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing an eARC copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.